ABOUT BELIZE

Why would anybody want to go to Belize?

Chances are you'll be asked this question more than once before you get here. There are many answers, of course, and the one you select will depend on your interests and temperament. If you're a scuba diver, the offishore barrier reef is an obvious attraction. If you want to experience the unspoiled jungle, a trip to the interior of Belize makes perfect sense.

Perhaps the most obvious reason to visit Belize is to be able to experience the natural beauty and quiet ambiance of a relatively uncrowded native forests of Latin America have disappeared during the last two centuries, in Belize the opposite is true: nearly 5 percent of the original forest remains, and in a largely undisturbed form. Here you'll find hundreds of species of animals and plants that have largely disappeared from most off their original homes, yet are thriving in Belize. Offshore, meanwhile, one of the world's largest barrier reef harbors exotic marine life in an underwater paradise unparalleled in the Western Hemisphere.

This silver of Caribbean coastline remains the most sparsely populated nation in Central America, with less than 30 inhabitants per square mile. It is not the smallest country. With its 8,867 square miles, Belize is slightly larger than El Salvador. But whereas the latter is bursting with more than 8.5 million people, Belize had an estimated 1999 population of 255,000, about one-third of whom were crowded into a single town: Belize City. Stability is another obvious difference. Belize is a parliamentary democracy that has never suffered under the civil wars and dictatorships that have typified most other Central American countries. Belize enjoys a high literacy rate (93 percent of adults) and long life expectancy (73 years for women, 67 for men).

Belize is divided into six political jurisdictions that roughly correspond with states or provinces. They are, from north to south, the Corozal, Orange Walk, Belize, Cayo, Stann Creek, and Toledo Districts. Most visitors will spend the bulk of their time in the Belize District, which encompasses the international airport, Belize City, and such northern islands as Ambergris Caye, and Caye Caulker; and the Cayo District, where the town of San Ignacio and most jungle lodges are located. Of growing interest to visitors are the southerly Stann Creek and Toledo Districts, noted for their nature reserves, Mayan ruins, and pristine offshore waters. The northerly districts of Corozal and Orange Walk are the most agricultural areas of Belize and thus receive the fewest number of visitors.

Belize Offers the Best of Both Central America and the Caribbean in One.....

Located on the east cost of the Yucatan peninsula, Belize is a vacation destination whose tropical treasures have yet to be discovered by mass tourism. Belize's proximity to the Reef and Rain Forests is what makes Belize so unique, and no vacation to Belize is complete without visiting them both.

To do it right, consider spending a few days on the coast or offshore on the Cayes and a few days exploring the mainland.

Black Orchid Vacation Packages are designed to suit your interests and lifestyle including both inland and seaside accommodations. Whether its diving the great Blue Hole, snorkeling the Barrier Reef, tubing over rapids, or hiking up Mayan pyramids - We Do It ALL!

With over 25 years experience in property management, our vacation packages are desinged to offer the opportunity to visit Belize and learn at the same time.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON BELIZE

Where is Belize Located?

Belize is a small enchanting country located in Central American just south of Mexican Yucatan Peninsula tip, approximately 150 miles south of Cancun. The small Central American country of Belize is bordered by Mexico to the north, Guatemala to the west and south and the Caribbean Sea to the east.

Belize covers an area of only 8,866 miles, and is roughly the size of the state of Massachusetts. It is the only Central American country where English is the official language and Spanish is a common second language. Once part of the Mayan and Spanish empires, the Belizean territory was for more than a century, a British colony known as British Honduras. Belmopan is the capital of Belize. Belize City is the largest city and business hub.

It was renamed Belize in 1973 and was finally granted full independence in September 1981. Belize is a Commonwealth country and it's system of laws and government are similar to both the United States and Great Britian.

Off the coast of Belize, lay approximately 200 hundred small islands called Cayes. Ambergris Caye (Am-BUR-gress Key) is the largest of these islands in Belize, and is the most popular tourist destination in Belize. The island is only 25 miles long and is located in the crystal waters of the Caribbean Sea. The coastline off Ambergris Caye is protected by a 190 mile Barrier Reef, the second largest living coral reef barrier in the world. Just outside the barrier reef, lay 3 of the 4 Caribbean Atolls. For this reason, Belize is one of the top ten diving destinations in the world and a scuba divers paradise.

National parks, nature reserves, wildlife sanctuaries, private reserves, and archeological reserves make up roughly one quarter of Belize's landscape. Just off Belize's coastline lay 6 marine reserves that contribute to the country's world class snorkeling and scuba diving.

The diverse landscape of wild jungles, pine forest and savanna, miles of underground and underwater caves, the Mayan Mountains, the largest barrier reef in the western hemisphere, and the 200 islands that dot the Caribbean are ideal to satisfy the most discriminative explorer.

Belize provides unlimited fun and activities for all ages and levels of adventures. Hike through the forests to see one of the largest waterfalls in Central America, float on your inner tube through miles of underground caves still littered with Mayan pottery, charter a catamaran and explore the white sandy palm fringed island, learn to fly fish, or lay ont he beach sipping on an exotic cocktail, just to name a few.

Belize was once home for highly sophisticated Mayan civilizations. Multiple well-preserved Mayan ruins are seen through out the country. Over the years Belize has been inhabited by Spanish explorers, British sailors, colorful pirates, British colonialists, African, East Indians, Creoles, Mestizos. As well as more recently Mennonites, expatriates Brits, Canadians, Americans and a fair amount of Chinese. Belize is happily multicultural and multi-religious. The friendship and warmth of Belize's people is legendary.

Belize has an amazing variety of terrain including the world's second largest barrier reef, hundreds of offshore island and atolls, mangroves coats, rolling savannahs, pine forests and tropical rain forests. Numerous caves are scattered throughout Belize. Several winding rivers flow from the rain forest into the Caribbean Sea.

Belize is blessed with five major ecosystems. Belize has over 500 species of birds, 500 types of trees, 220 kinds of fish and 200 varieties of orchids. In additional, there are scores of mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. Belize is said to have the greatest variety of animal habitats north of the Amazon Basin. Belize is home to the world's largest jaguar Preserve.